The present invention relates to a clipping tool assembly for closing at least one closure means, like a closure clip, in a packaging machine, for closing tubular or bag-shaped packaging casings, a method for controlling a clipping device, a clipping machine for producing sausage-shaped products as well as the use of the clipping device in a packaging machine for closing tubular or bag-shaped packaging casings.
In particular, the present invention relates to a clipping device for closing at least one closure means, like a closure clip, in a packaging machine, for closing tubular or bag-shaped packaging casings. The clipping device comprises a first closing tool and a second closing tool, wherein at least the first closing tool is reversibly movable towards the second closing tool, between an opened position and a closed position, for closing the at least one closure means, and a drive means for reversibly moving at least the first closing tool towards the second closing tool in a closing direction.
The present invention further relates to a method for controlling a clipping device in a packaging machine, like a clipping machine, for closing tubular or bag-shaped packaging casings, a clipping machine for producing sausage-shaped products, like sausages, by filing a filling material into a tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing and closing said packaging casing by a closure means, like a closure clip and, the present invention relates to a clipping tool assembly for use in a packaging machine for closing tubular or bag-shaped packaging casings by at least one closure means, like a closure clip.
In the practice, it is known that, for example in the production of sausage-shaped products, filling material is fed by a filling machine through a filling tube of a clipping machine into a tubular casing material, which is stored on the filling tube and which is closed at its front end by a closure clip. The tubular casing material is pulled off from the filling tube while being filled. After a predetermined volume of filling material is filled into said tubular casing material, a displacement device with a first and a second pair of displacement elements forms a plait-like portion of the tubular casing material and the clipping machine places and closes at least one closing clip at the plait-like portion forming the back end of the sausage shaped product by respective closing tools which are reversibly movable towards the plait-like portion. After that, the sausage-shaped product just produced, is separated from the remaining casing material by a knife or the like of a cutting device of the clipping machine. The produced sausage-shaped products may contain various flowable filling materials, e.g. sausage meat, grease, adhesives, sealing compounds or the like.
From EP patent 0 900 733, a clipping machine for producing sausages is known, including first and second closing tool, a punch and a die, which are mounted to first ends of respective closing levers coupled by their second ends to a common pivot axis. For reversibly moving the closing tools between their opened and closed position, in order to place and close a closure clip on the filled and gathered tubular packaging casing, the closing levers are driven by a cam plate.
According to the kind of products, chubby filled sausages or loosely filled nets, and the material of which the closure clips are made, like metal or plastic, said closure clips have to be closed with a respective closing force for securely closing the packaging casing.
In particular, in the case that a high pressure is necessary for closing the closure clip between the first and second closing tools, the clip material may adhere to one or both of the closing tools. Accordingly, when discharging the just closed packaging casing from the clipping machine, and the closure clip is adhered to one of the closing tools, the casing material of said packaging casing may be damaged or the closure clip retained in the closing tool may break off from said packaging casing. In both cases, the production process has to be stopped for removing the closure clip sticking in the closure tool and the filling material dropped off from the damaged packaging casing, causing a higher amount of waste and maintenance costs. Additionally, depending on the kind of filling material, in particular, in the case that an explosive has to be packaged in a clipping machine, a metallic closure clip or parts thereof, remaining in one of the clipping tool after a clipping cycle has been finished, may cause an extreme accident.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a clipping tool assembly with which the above mentioned drawbacks can be overcome and with which the closing process of sausage- or bag-shaped products is enhanced.